Geese, Geese, and More Geese!!!

The Friends of Goodale Park Work with Local Venture Scout Greg Bulger to Find Solutions

Where there’s water, there are geese.
And more geese.
And more geese.

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the number of Canada Geese in and around the Goodale Park pond. While Canada Geese can be beautiful creatures, they’re not always considered the most neighborly residents. They can be quite invasive, and often leave a nasty mess behind, creating a hazard along the walkway surrounding the Goodale Park pond. While eradicating Canada Geese in Goodale Park was not a top priority for Friends of Goodale Park, our Board of Trustees was delighted when local Venture Scout Greg Bulger contacted our organization in search of a conservation award project.

The Canada Geese project was started when Greg Bulger met with FGP Trustees to discuss possible projects in the areas of wildlife management, invasive species control, pollution control, and water conservation.

We discussed the recent algae bloom in the pond, which is in large part caused by the additional nutrients in Canada Geese excrement. It was then decided that the goal of Greg’s project would be to investigate environmentally friendly methods to deter invasive Canada Geese from feeding within the park.

Greg then performed research in and around Goodale Park pond to observe Canada Geese and their immediate environment. From there, Greg compiled a report for Friends of Goodale Park, offering environmentally-friendly solutions to encourage the Canada Geese to leave the pond area. From a wide range of solutions, Greg and the Friends narrowed down the possibilities to a few viable options:

Install signage around the pond to discourage feeding Canada Geese

Install a fake predator in the pond to deter Canada Geese from landing in or near the area

Plant new grasses around the pond that are distasteful to Canada Geese but otherwise harmless

The current research and reporting of possible solutions compiled by Greg is an ongoing topic of discussion at Friends of Goodale Park board meetings. As stewards of Goodale Park, it is the responsibility of Friends of Goodale Park to maintain and preserve Columbus’ oldest park for the use and enjoyment of the people. But we cannot do this alone.

We would like to hear your thoughts on this project. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey on the topic of Canada Geese in Goodale Park.

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A note on our local Venture Scout…

A Vigil honor member of Marnoc Lodge #151 in Akron, Ohio, Greg is currently a senior at The Ohio State University, studying Chemical Engineering.

Some of his Scouting highlights include attending the 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference, staffing the 2013 National Scout Jamboree as a member of the staff band, and serving on the Boy Scouts of America National Youth Leadership Training staff for six years.

While at school, Greg enjoys playing the trombone as a member of the Ohio State University Athletic Band and staying active with the local council through Venturing. Greg looks forward to working with Friends of Goodale Park on this exciting project!